December 26, 2014

12/25/14 - Christmas Email & Video

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!! It is Christmas day and I just finished talking with my family! They are so amazing! I am so lucky to have them!! I love them all so much!!

Well, I have already been on the computer today for a quite some time so I am not going to write that much because I will be back on Monday in a few days. This week many miracles have happened but I am going to just write about one of my favorites!

On Saturday we were inviting this guy to hear our message and come to Church. He was pretty against coming to church but finally said he would give it a try. Guess what, he actually showed up on Sunday! We started talking and came to find out that his brother is the Patriarch in Bangkok and they haven't talked in 20 years!! (In Thailand families often lose track of each other. Also, the Patriarch is blind which has isolated him.) This next Sunday they are going to get together for the first time in so long! I am so excited for them!

This past week I was pretty sick for a couple days so today I am planning on taking a nice Christmas NAP along with some good movies--17 Miracles and the Joseph Smith movie!

I hope you all have an AMAZING Christmas season! Remember the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate! I am so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ!
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-00-1460-he-is-the-gift?lang=eng

Love,
Sister Herrmann
Christmas at Central World
This RC family is so so poor so I decided to go to the store and buy the kids some presents! They were so happy :) Giving really is so much better than getting :)
With a "white Family" at the Christmas party!
Dressed up for the church Christmas party
Our investigator, Choo!


LINK: http://youtu.be/CoVc_PcAsiI

December 16, 2014

12/15/14 - Bangnaa - new area & companion

This has been an INSANE week!!! I found out I was being transferred and had to pack everything up in like 30 minutes because we were leaving that night to Bangkok for Mission Leadership Conference. It was one of the hardest nights of my mission. We had an FHE/ goodbye party. Everyone whom I loved was there! (Funny side note... usually when missionaries transfer the members give them stuff but instead they gave me Kentucky Friend Chicken KFC.) They know me too well. At the end they asked me to bare my testimony which turned into a big crying fest. I couldn't hold myself together which you know I hate. I just love them all so much and am forever grateful for their love! I am going to miss them so much! They all took me to the bus station…lots of hugs and tears and I was off! It was probably one of the hardest goodbyes. While at the MLC we helped Sister Brown and Sister Lam in their area! The members in her area are super cute and loving too :) I went on a switch off (exchange) with Sister Brown which was really fun and brought back many good memories!

On Thursday we had TRANSFERS!! I was really scared but it ended up being AWESOME!! I am with Sister Morgan! She is so so cute and really fun! She is going on her second transfer and already is SO GOOD at Thai!! I love her a lot. We are going to have a fun time and baptize everyone! Our district is WAY cool too! And the sisters in our zone are all from my MTC group…Sister Mamea and Sister Brown! We are the oldest sisters in the Zone! I am serving in Bangnaa. And the weirdest thing about it all is that sister Croft, my trainer, was Sister Morgan’s trainer too! I am super excited!

We had so many good miracles this week! On our first day of contacting together as a new companionship we said a prayer that we would find people. And the first guy we invited was super willing to learn. He went to church on Sunday and has a cute family of 4! I am exited to teach him!! One of the girls who has been coming to English class showed up to church for the first time. After Church we taught her and she seemed to understand everything so well! She was amazed at how the plan of salvation all worked. On Sunday night I felt like we needed to go through the area book. There was one guy who had been meeting with the missionaries but then stopped about 6 months ago. I decided to call him. He told me that he needs help and he knows the gospel would help him. He was basically asking to be baptized so we are going to work with him this next week! There have been so many little miracles like that, I feel so blessed!!

On Saturday we had a stake Christmas party that was absolutely amazing! They totally decked out the church to do this walk through “nativity, plan of salvation” activity. I was in shock at the planning and effort they put in. I can't even describe how cool it was! It was fun to see all the missionaries from our zone! Thailand goes all out for Christmas! You wouldn't guess that because they are a Buddhist country but the Mormons in Thailand go crazy!! This Sunday after church we spent the whole day setting up for our personal ward Christmas party next week. I love it!!

This week I have been singing a lot of Christmas songs and there is just something about Christmas songs and celebrating the birth of my Savior that I love!

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky.
And stay by my cradle ‘til morning is nigh.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth


I am so grateful that Christ is MY Savior! I owe everything to him! Sometimes there are so many things that keep us from making room for Christ--pride, fear, family, friends, worldly things, etc. These days everyone is so busy. We make time for unimportant stuff but make no time or room for Christ. I hope that we can all make some time for Christ this Christmas season and forever on. It may mean giving up a bad habit or changing something about ourselves but essentially it will make both Him and us happier. Please make time for the One who has made infinite time for you! I love being a missionary and am excited for this next transfer full of adventures and miracles :) Have a good week everyone! LOVE YOU ALL!

PS I AM THE HAPPIEST HUMAN!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the packages so much. I got the ones from you and what Rachel’s friend, Kelsey, brought on her trip here from Caitlin and Rachel. I cried for joy, really I can't express how happy they made me. Thank you so much! I loved the picture frames and the soap and the PASTA RONI and the skittles and just everything! Don’t worry; I haven’t opened anything that was wrapped and am saving them for Christmas. Jessica and her family sent me a package and it was so cute! I felt so loved! I won't be on next Monday since p-day is on Thursday. Look forward to skyping on Christmas Eve!! Have a Merry Christmas!

First half of the pictures are saying goodbyes to my Sisaket family and at the train station. The second half are in my new area (Bangnaa) in Bangkok. 

My new companion (right) with our Mom (Sister Croft- middle). she trained both of us and now she is home! 
Christmas party with some of the MTC clan!
Singing at the party! 
At the Christmas party

December 9, 2014

12/8/14 - Last week in Sisaket- I am so sad!

This week was Zone Conference! We traveled 4 hours to Khon Kean Tuesday morning and helped the missionaries in their area. It was a lot of fun because sister Nethercott and Grover from the MTC were there! That night we slept on the hard tile so we didn't really sleep well! Wednesday was Zone Conference and it was so much FUN! We went to a market and sang Christmas carols and then ate AMERICAN FOOD!! I didn't realize how much I missed cheese! For Zone Conference we focused on the Savior and his life. We did a lot of activities, sang songs, bore testimony, etc. It was a night filled with the Christmas spirit!

That night Sister Carter, Elder Watkins, Elder Mitchell and I were taking a duk duk to the bus station and the most awkward thing ever happened!! The wind was making my skirt a huge bubble and I noticed and was commenting how funny it was when all of a sudden my skirt flew up showing my garments! I grabbed it down as fast as possible but the look on those poor Elders face was priceless! AHH so embarrassing!! That night we went from a duk duk to a bug to a taxi and got home at 2 AM. We didn't get much sleep that night so the next day we were all kind of out of it!

Simon our investigator from Africa got baptized! It was amazing! He lives 40 minutes away from the Church which costs about 400 bat in transportation which is really expensive in Thailand! We had a couple lessons over the phone and he told us that his parents were Catholic. He was so confused because his thoughts from reading the Bible and Catholicism didn't match up. He was so willing to keep the commandments! Whenever we would ask him if he had any problems with the commandments he would say, "Well, if it is a commandment of God, of course, I am going to keep it." He had so much faith and is so good!!! It has been quite the adventure teaching him in English! I use a lot of thai-glish! It is so hard to teach in English! When he got baptized he was so happy! In his testimony he said that he knew he had to be baptized by immersion and be a part of this church to make it back to Heavenly Father! It was a good day! I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to teach him.

So this week on Friday it was FATHERS’ DAY, aka the King’s birthday! It is one of the biggest holidays here. Everyone wears yellow and celebrates the king and fathers in general! I felt so bad because we needed someone to take us to Simon’s house and the only person who was free was the Brother Somsak, the branch president! Later we found out that after helping us, he helped both sets of elders! So basically he took his whole day off and fathers’ day to help the missionaries!!

We had lots of little parties with the members which was really fun. We were served fish which was gross. They literally catch the fish, cut them open, gut them, and put them on the grill. It was a lot of fun being with what feels like family. We also had a get together Sunday night. They told me that wherever I go in Thailand to always remember where I was born…Sisagate. And that I have many moms and dads there supporting and loving me. I was on the edge of tears. I am going to miss them so much

This week I read 3 talks that really inspired me to be a better missionary and person in general. I read "What Have I Done for Someone Today", "The Character of Christ", and "The Mansion". All these talks have the exact same topic of “giving”. I think everyone knows that service and turning outward is very important but sometimes in the moment of pain and trials it is hard to turn away the natural man. In the Character of Christ it says, "Character is in the power to discern the sufferings of others when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the mists of our own spiritual distress. This character is demonstrated by looking and reaching outward when the natural man and instinctive response is to be self absorbed and turn inward." While reading, my thoughts veered to our savior, Jesus Christ. I have been studying about his life and his amazing selfless character. I think of the words in Matthew, "But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Christ did all those things. When he was suffering more than anyone can imagine he was praying for the well being of others, seeking comfort and peace for those who needed it much less than he. Even when he was suffering, his first thought was how to help others. Obviously this Christ-like service can't come through sheer willpower. In the talk it says, "As we are dependent upon the mercy and grace of God, we are enabled to reach outward when the natural tendency is for us to turn inward." I have come to realize selfless service is a gift that you can inherent through the atonement of Christ.

As we are serving and giving of ourselves we have to make sure we are not doing so for ourselves. I read the story, “The Mansion”, about a man named John Weightman who is rich and is always "giving". But in his heart it was for his own gain in the world. At the end of the story he has a dream about getting his mansion in heaven. Others had big nice ones but when he saw his it was a small shack. He was so confused. He tried telling the keeper about all the service he did and the keeper said, “We know you did all that stuff. They were not ill done. But they were all marked and used as foundation for the name and mansion of John Weightman in the world." Later he asks, "What could I have done better? What is it that counts here?” The keeper said, "Only that which is truly given, which is done for the love of doing it, only those plans in which the welfare of others is the master thought, only those labors in which the sacrifice is greater than the reward, only those gifts in which the giver forgets himself." I love that statement so much! It is good for self evaluation. Having studied this has made me see how I can sincerely turn outward better. I have also learned so much about this through the examples of the Thai people. They are constantly giving to truly help others! I am so grateful for their example and love they have shown me! Thinking about leaving this branch literally kills me!

Well in the spirit in Christmas I challenge all of you to turn outwards and follow the example of our Savior. Ask yourselves every day,
"Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed."


I love you all! Have an amazing week! Keep me in your prayers as it is going to be a stressful week with transfers and MLC! Thanks for all the love and support!!

- Sister Herrmann
PS. I got 10 new mosquito bites on my feet!
Eating at a fancy hotel at Khon Kean
With the sisters in Khon Kean
In a songtow
Muay and Toffy. This is the last time I will see them :(
Walking with my horsy to church :)
We match! 
Mama Boom
Maa Daw!
Gig!
Simon got baptized! 
So sad- my last Sunday with Ribbon
Baptisms galore!
I love my children! 
My maaaa! She is the best! 
Last time seeing my good friend Benz!
All of my moms & dads!